Aggressive
 

Hi..I have been reading posts on YT for months..and am finally posting!
My Thomas will be a year old next month. He is now beginning to be quite aggressive. If you try to leave the house..he jumps up and nips at your hand. (or whatever he can grab)!
He also barks at most any noise..gets all excited and nips at our older dogs ears!
My husband loves to take him along on road trips, but he is just getting to be too much to handle.
He is a wild one! Any advice on his behavior?

Hi and I'm so glad you're posting :). Behaviors can be tough ones...but there are such smart people here when it comes to behaviors.

So first up, do you respond emotionally to him when he has these these behaviors? That would be one area you could intervene with (bc it's yourself :p, making it easy) right away (not using words/commands - rather, using noises combined w/ signals). Also, can he be confined to an area before he knows you're leaving? Or, I mean, how does he know you're leaving...what's the process...how does it unfold?

On the barking...have you tried shaking a can full of coins yet?

Anywho, there are folks here wayyyyyyyy more experienced than me in this area who will chime in, but it may help to provide a few more details. These yorkies can be a handful, you're NOT alone :D!

Usually when he nips it's like "wow that hurt'! or 'NO'..
He isn't confined when we leave. He just see's us going for the door. That's when he starts jumping..barking..nipping!
Oh..and the best part? He will chew and destroy anything he can get to!
I am assuming that he wants to go. He can't go all of the time, and we really don't know what to do!:confused:
He is quite high strung!

Hi,

A few things you might want to try that have worked wonders for me. First up are you walking your dog, I mean really walking like a min. of 15 min 2 times a day. A tired dog is a happy dog. As for leaving the house you might want to practice leaving just so the dog know your combing back. Always change up your routine, They are much smarter than we give them credit. What I mean by practice is one time put your coat on grab your keys and just walk out the door do not look or speak to your dog, wait outside the door for 1-2 min and come back in. Next time grab your keys first, then put on the coat keep changing it up and extending the time but always never look or speak to the dog. I too have used the can with coins it works wonders. Remember you must always be calm, they feed off of our energy. You might also want to leave a kong or puzzle type toy for him when you leave so he is busy while you are not there so he does not chew up the house.

I hope this helps

Cheryl

Thanks! They All sound like good ideas.
We are ready and willing to try anything!

My first suggestion for the nipping/barking when you leave/walk out the door... would be to de-sensitive him in a way to you guys leaving. Begin to pick up your keys, and NOT leave, just carry them around with you for a bit. Pick up your purse, put on your shoes, all the things you do when you leave, start to do them and then not really leave. Jingle your keys and give him a treat, make all of these associations of you leaving into a positive!

I would also carry treats with me alot and have him learn to sit calmly (he can't just be "sitting"... he must also be in a calm state of mind). Never leave a dog in an anxious state of mind. Practice simple commands such as sit, stay, wait, leave it, etc. Basic obedience is necessary in my opinion to live fully happily with a dog.

I would highly suggest taking him for a walk if it's possible BEFORE you leave. Leaving your dog in a tired state is usually best if he's messing/destroying things while you're gone. Exercise is very important for aggressive dogs, as well as dogs that suffer from seperation anxiety (which is what he sounds like he has... that, or he's just bored! ;)) Give him a fun activity to do while you're gone... get a Kong toy, fill it up with treats, or get any toy puzzles for him to have to figure out while you are gone.

Also, I'm gonna relay a "Dog Whisperer" message here (Cesar Millan, National Geographic Channel, if ya haven't seen him). Dogs need exercise, discipline, and then affection (in that order). An exercised tired dog is a happy dog in my opinion! Dogs are pack animals, and they have a primal need to walk (not just run in a backyard) with their owners/other dogs.

I always suggest watching Dog Whisperer on National Geographic and It's Me or the Dog on Animal Planet. Both great shows!

LOL, we posted almost identical responses! Ya got to it first! ;) Good advice! :thumbup::thumbup:

LOL I just say that too :thumbup:

Thanks everyone..I am going to start working on some of your ideas..
Keep your fingers crossed!!